Jeremy Hyler & Candace Marcotte


How do we help students create connections to grammar,while motivating them in a 21st century classroom?

What is your purpose? (e.g., informative, entertaining, persuasive)


Our purpose is to inform teachers of ways to help students create connections to grammar, while motivating them in a 21st century educational setting.

Who is your specific target audience?


Our target audiences are middle school teachers and students.

What genre or type of message do you wish to share with others?


Writing is context dependent upon the specific genre.

What is the key content of your message?


Conventions of Standard English

Knowledge of Language

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.L.3_ Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.

What values will be communicated through image, language, and sound?


The value of informal vs. formal writing will be emphasized through the resources provided in this structure. Guiding students to observe and apply their understanding of what writing looks like in the academic world vs. friendly forms of communication.

What creative techniques will you use to attract and hold audience attention?


Students will be engaged through blended learning. By utilizing multimedia resources, students will be motivated by the form of content delivery.




Grammar Smackdown Lesson PlanDigital Literacy Instructional Plan
Jeremy Hyler & Candace Marcotte


Learners: Middle School Grammar Students

Self: Jeremy Hyler & Candace Marcotte

Context: Electronic Portfolio of rules/examples

Online videos on explanations and examples

Community: Middle school teachers and students


PURPOSE
The purpose of this design is to emphasize the difference in informal vs. formal writing, in various medias. Guiding students to observe and apply their understanding of what writing looks like in the academic world vs. friendly forms of communication.

Standards

Conventions of Standard English


Knowledge of Language

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.L.3_ Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.



TASK/ACTIVITY: (includes compelling question and possible scenarios to connect question to real world)
Use your purpose, content, and pedagogical strategies to inform the design of your

Step 1: At home or in an area with Internet access, students watch a short video created by the teacher. This video provides an example of the language convention and/or rule that is being studied that week(ie., compound sentence). The terminology is never used, it is scaffolded under a unit (ie., types of sentences). In addition to this, students are shown an example of the convention/rule (ie., compound sentence) in context of a title they are working with. In the video, students are provided resources to do the “think work”. They must use these resources to figure out what the rule is.

Step 2: Students discover the rule through the “think work” and put it into their own words. Then, they put it into their Grammar Guide and demonstrate how it looks cross-genre.

Step 3: Students come to class and are given an allotted amount of time (10 minutes?) to create a video or product that explains the rule using the terminology, examples and nonexamples of the rule/convention. The videos should be no longer than 2 minutes (eventually, hopefully paring it down to shorter).

Step 4: The class watches the videos as the discussion guide for working out any remaining questions/misconceptions regarding the rule/convention.

Step 5: The student videos/creations (because, over time, they may take different form) are then shared on a class Grammar Guide (blog? Google Site?). This Grammar Guide can be referenced as students write in other content areas and acts as a student-created resource.

Step 6: As the year progresses, students are assigned the grammar conventions/rules and must create the “flipped” video for other students to watch (replacing the teacher-produced video in Step 1).



CONTENT

Topics: Various writing conventions and rules for academic writing (Grammar).

Texts: Video Clips, Model texts from what they are reading during the given unit, podcasts


PEDAGOGY

Instructional Strategies:

  • Students will watch a video (based on the flipped classroom).
  • Inquiry approach to learning grammar conventions
  • Collaboration in product creation
  • Modeling
  • Application










Grammar example.jpg

Mr. Hyler's Class Wiki


Tools:

Grammar Girl

Grammar Check

Purdue Owl

Google Presentations

wevideo_ or other types of media creators that are student-selected



ASSESSMENT

Work Products

  • Electronic graphic organizer or concept map that demonstrates writing structures in multiple medias. In addition, the rule is explained in their own words along side the actual definition. Grammar/Convention portfolios will be assessed and graded every 4 ½ weeks and will be turned in electronically.
  • Students will create videos (less than 2 minutes) that demonstrate what the rule is and demonstrate an example.
  • Students will also demonstrate understanding by using the grammar rule in their own writing throughout lessons and units. For example, students will be required to put 2 compound and 2 complex sentences in their memoir to show they have knowledge of how to effectively use the convention.

* During the second semester of the school year, students will not be watching videos that show examples where they need to inquire about the rule, but they will instead create the video themselves.

* Students will also be responsible for uploading a video to our site where the rules are made public.

* Times that grammar portfolios are assessed can be flexible. In addition, students do not have to be assessed through writing, but can be given traditional quizzes or tests.

* Students do have electronic portfolios that contain their writing and reflective statements from throughout the year.